• I was running, running as fast as I could through the thin grey trunks of the forest bordering my former prison-the Laboratory.
    'Should have listened to Father Imp,' I though, snagging my medical gown on a thorn bush, ' Should have stayed hidden.'
    All my comrades had either died or gone ahead of me, but my crippled state prevented me from keeping up.
    'Im gonna die,' I thought as the sounds of my pursuers came to my highly sensitive ears like a death tole,' Im gonna die and no one'll remember me....unless these trees thin out, I dont stand a chance.'
    My feet were rubbed raw from all the running I had been doing and when I glanced back I saw my footprints as small dark wet marks on the dry and cracked soil. As the pursuers drew closer and I began to feel the hot breath tainting the air, the trees thinned out abruptly. 'Yes!' then, 'No, no NO!!!' as my feet skidded on the barren soil trying to get a grip, but it was too late. I felt myself begin to fall down, down down into the abyss below and heard my pursuers laughter mingling with their pants. I had one option left, and it could prove fatal. I spread my extra limbs and flapped with all my might. Slowly, I began to rise.
    A raspy laughter of mirth escaped my lips, sounding like a dying cat as I spoke for the first time in days. 'FREEDOM!'
    For a few minutes more I soared onwards, leaving the dumbfoundedfaces of my previous pursuers far behind. Then all at once my shoulders started to ache and I knew that I wouldnt be able to go on much longer.
    'Damn those scientists.' I thought. It they had allowed me to get more exersize, my wings would have already been restored to thier mucled sleekness and not these puny sticks of limbs. I coasted gently down to where I saw a small group of dark figures regrouping, all clothed in the cheap grey medical gowns the Laboritory made their patients wear, no matter thier gender.
    Astonished faces turned upwards as I landed slightly unsteadily and folded my wings in tight to my body, shivering with exauhstion.
    "So, Raven," siad a dark-faced werwolf called Noon, "you survived after all."
    "I suppose we should give you some credit, " added Shasha, a red-skinned imp, "After all you are the weakest in our group , but still you surpassed the lives of some of our strongest Survivers. Even if you are a harpy, you did well."
    My chest swelled with pride at thier skimpy praise, for it was more than I could usually expect. Although I thought I already knew the answer, still I had to ask, " Does this mean you'll let me travel with you?"
    Noon nodded, then slipped into the trees. One by one the group followed, until I was the only one left and limped along after them. I was so happy then, so foolishly happy. I wish I had know what I do now, then things might have turned out better.


    * Ok. I know this must be confusuing to you, so let me clear a few things up- We are a group of rough myths who somehow got captured by a buncha human scientists. Now you know how rude you humans can be, and for the next decade or so, we were poked and prodded with needled by scientists w/ big mustaches who kept arguing together like a bunch of sparrows. Father Imp, an older 'specimen' had given me and a few of the younger myths a plan to escape the lab, but he himself would remain at the lab and use his secret dying wrath in an attempt to destroy the lab once we had left. My name is Raven, in cas e you hadnt picked that up, and I am a young, punt harpy-girl stuck with a buncha smart-a** survivors who think they're all-that. I had been hoping for a bit of sympathy training but hey, a girl, cant have it all now can she?*